Scarlet Peak
by Kailor Aurelius
Summary: There are some Christmas traditions that just can't be broken. Scarlet Peak is one of them.
1. Chapter 1

**Kailor: Hola, my awesome nerds! If you're coming over from my other story, Stained Glass, hello and welcome! I try to post every day or every few days, depending on life's craziness lol.**

 **So I was thinking, we don't have any gay Christmas movies. Like, none? So, screw that. We're making our own! Hope you enjoy and happy holidays!**

Beca kicks the door shut and toes off her boots, groaning. Winter is her least favorite season. It's too cold for her favorite t-shirts, too wet for her favorite Converse, and too fucking rough on her immune system. She always gets sick when the cold rolls in—only for a few days usually, but it's still the worst. Probably should have eaten more dirt as a kid.

And then there's the Christmas music. _God_ , she hates Christmas music. Christmas is great. It's her second favorite holiday after Thanksgiving. Presents and pretty lights and that weird sense of kindness that suddenly comes over everyone as soon as Halloween ends. But the music? She's pretty sure her own personal hell would be her, trapped alone in her old high school's detention room with no food, Mrs. Braimah writing on the board with that one piece of chalk that always screeched, and just Christmas music playing on a loop for eternity.

She bats away some of the tinsel that's come loose and hangs in her face as she makes her way to the couch. She _had_ only halfheartedly stuck it to the ceiling with scotch tape after Stacie's fifteenth rant about decorating, but it still annoys her that it isn't staying the hell up and out of her way. Her bag thumps onto the coffee table and she collapses with a sigh and a hacking cough that feels like it tears out part of her lungs on the way up. "Fucking holiday traffic, dude," she rasps, sniffling.

"Tell me about it," Jax huffs through a mouthful of poptart. He's still wearing his school uniform even though it's well after nightfall. His dark hair is starting to curl around his ears and she makes a mental note to ask Stacie to cut it again.

She stares at the crumbs on his shirt until he notices. "Is that the last pack?"

Jax stares back, chewing slowly. He moves a throw pillow to cover the half empty pack in his lap. "...No."

"Jerk." Beca kicks his feet off the coffee table and he yelps. The poptart pack and the pillow slide to the floor with his feet.

He flumps back, staring down at the broken chocolate chunks. "Now neither of us gets it. Are you happy now?"

"Little bit."

He closes his eyes and drops his head back, looking so much like their dad for a second that she almost wants to pull out her phone and take a picture. But her phone's in her back pocket and she really doesn't want to move right now. Moving hurts. And she's not really much for that sentimental shit anyways. So she just stares at him instead, at the small crescent scar under his right eye.

"Are you doing the 'You look like Dad' stare again?" He doesn't open his eyes but his lips twitch up.

"No." She looks away. "Just feeling a little guilty that I got all the good genes and no one will ever like you."

Jax lunges forward to grab the pillow off the floor and slam it into her face. Her already aching, pressure-filled face. When she recovers, rubbing her nose, she finds him smirking. "We both know I got the good genes _and_ the good personality."

She rolls her eyes, because he's right about that last bit. She's heard it a lot over the years, that their parents were like copy machines. Jax has Beca's dark hair and dark blue eyes, her pale skin, and even the same little triangle of freckles on his left shoulder. And she had gotten all of those things from their father, along with his dry humor and inability to wake up early. But Jax got their mother's easy smile and knack for drawing a crowd. It's sort of annoying, to have to stop with him every few feet in the grocery store so he can say hi to this person or that one that he knows. She's not even sure where he meets all of them. They just pop up and he knows their names and she usually lolls about in the background until he's taken too long and she moves on to continue shopping, forcing him to follow.

But that's Jax and she loves him. Even if he always eats the last poptart pack.

"I made you some soup, Sicko." He points to a bowl on the kitchen island that she hadn't noticed before.

"Really? Dude, thanks." With a groan that feels like it pulls all the way up from her cold toes, she gets up and moves over to the island. The bowl is empty. "Where's the soup?"

"I got hungry."

She glares at him as she moves the bowl to the sink, coughing into her elbow. "Okay, so you ate my soup _and_ the last poptart?"

"I'm a growing boy, B." He stretches out, as if to show her. But, just like her, he barely takes up any space on the couch.

Beca sniffles. "I hate to tell you this, but look at the family photo, dude. No you're not." He throws her a glare as she moves for the hallway, rubbing her nose with her sleeve. "I'm going to bed. We've got a long drive tomorrow."

" _You've_ got a long drive tomorrow," he corrects, voice cracking softly in the middle. "I've got a long _nap_ tomorrow."

"Not with Stacie in the car, you don't."

"Ugh, good point." He hops up and shuts off the lights, running down the hall after her. He shoulder checks her in the side as he passes and she spins to slug him in the back. He grunts in pain, but laughs around it.

She clears her throat, feeling like her head is filled with cotton balls that are threatening to melt out of her nose. "Night, Junior."

Jax lopes back down the hall and leans in, letting her bump the side of her head against his forehead. Their mom was the hugger. "Night. Take some medicine or something. You're gross." He pretends to gag and wipes at his arms and chest dramatically, giving a full-body shiver.

She smacks him again and leaves him laughing in the dark hall, rubbing his chest.

* * *

"Wake up call for Thing One and Thing Two! Why are there poptarts on the floor?" Stacie's voice echoes down the hall and through Beca's shut door, making her throbbing head pound even harder. She groans, burrowing deeper into her blankets. It's too early. It's too bright. It's too morning. She can't breathe through her nose at all and she just wants to sleep until she's not sick anymore.

Her door knob rattles and she ignores it, working her way back toward oblivion. She vaguely registers Jax's sleepy voice and Stacie singing something that sounds country. Sleep almost has her back when the door bangs into the wall, startling her back awake, and Stacie sings, " _I feel it in my fingers! I feel it in my toes!_ "

Beca buries her face in her pillow and screams to drown her out.

"Becs, don't be a Grinch! Come on!" Hands start beating on her back and Jax is laughing somewhere. And she hates them both. " _Christmas is all around me—_ "

"Go away!" Beca grunts, blindly kicking toward Stacie's singing. She misses and suddenly her blanket is gone and there are hands on her ankles, dragging her down to the end of the bed. Her shirt rides up and cold air hits her back. Twisting, she yanks her shirt down and kicks Stacie's hands off.

Stacie, tall and gorgeous and already completely dressed and made up for the day, grins down at her. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Fuck you."

"Not in front of the children, Becs!" Stacie grabs Jax, slapping her hands over his ears. His hair is standing up every direction and there's still the wrinkled imprint of his pillow in his cheek, but he's grinning. "He's barely nine years old!"

"I'm fifteen!"

Beca sits up, a rattling cough dragging through her sore throat and leaving her limbs aching hollowly. "How did you get in here?" She looks at her bedroom door, which she knows she locked. She always locks it.

Jax holds up a bobby pin. "I picked the lock."

Stacie pats his hair fondly. "I raised him so well."

She thinks about arguing that, but really, Stacie did have a big hand in it for a while there. So she just shoos them both out of her room so she can get dressed. She can hear them puttering about in the kitchen as she tugs a sweater over her head and digs around for a scarf. It's a very small walk from the door to the car, but cold is cold and Beca is not having it today.

* * *

When she finally joins them in the kitchen, Jax is dressed, his hair perfectly fixed, and he's eating cereal with one of their giant cooking spoons for some reason. He slides a bowl toward her as she sits beside him.

She pointedly glances down into it. "Oh my god. There's food in it."

He rolls his eyes in a perfect imitation of her.

Stacie—who Beca assumes has probably already had breakfast, taken a run around the block, and done yoga or some shit—is moving around the house, turning off lights and grabbing any last minute essentials Beca or Jax may have forgotten to pack. "Alright, where are your stockings?" She drops a bundle of clean laundry on the counter, sorting through it.

"In my bag," Jax says. "All the Christmas stuff is."

"Okay, good. I knew your sister wouldn't think of it."

"Duh. She's an idiot."

Beca kicks him under the counter and he chokes, spitting milk everywhere.

Carefully folding the items she's selected to bring along for them, Stacie glances at her phone. "Okay, pack it in. If we hit the road quick enough, we can stop in Fernwood for hamburger steaks and still make it to Scarlet Peak before nightfall."

The thought of Fernwood's hamburger steaks has both Beca and Jax quickly slurping down the rest of their food. He cleans up the mess he's made of the counter while she pulls on her boots and Stacie jingles the keys around, humming merrily. Beca wraps her arms around her box of tissues, slouching against the door as they wait for him.

"You sound like death," Stacie says.

"You sound like a bitch."

Beca was right about the walk to the car being hell. It's freezing outside and wet-neither of which are good for her nose or aching throat. By the time she's settled into the passenger seat of Stacie's Galant, covered in extra blankets and a Walmart bag of tissue boxes, her nose feels even more stuffed than before and she turns the heater all the way up, willing it to kick in quickly.

Jax runs over to leave a spare house key with Mr. and Mrs. Leith, in case of emergency. He's halfway into the backseat, settling pretty much on top of their bags, when he stops. "Wait, Bec. Dad's candles."

She twists in her seat to squint over her thick scarf at him. "I thought I was the idiot who forgot to pack the Christmas stuff," she jokes, sniffing.

He shrugs and quietly says, "Dad always packed them."

It aches in a completely different way than the throbbing in her head and rattle in her chest does, but she swallows it down a little easier. Stacie carefully taps a knuckle on Beca's thigh and she's glad she's there for the first time that morning. "I know, Junior. Go grab 'em, quick. Bring me a coke."

"Get your own coke, dude." Like nothing had happened, he grins and slips out of the car before she can hit him. She watches him hop back through their tracks in the snow and sighs.

"This is gonna fucking suck."

Stacie taps her leg again and switches on the radio. "All I Want For Christmas" starts playing and Beca groans, sinking down into her miserable little nest of blankets and tissue boxes. They haven't even left for this trip yet and she's already regretting it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kailor: Hello, my loves! I'm so sorry it's been a while since my last update! Family and self care and Mardi Gras happened. But here we are and for those of you who didn't see it, I put up another epilogue on Stained Glass! :) Hope you enjoy it and this! Who cares if it's March? IT'S CHRISTMAS, BELLAS!**

Chloe Beale believes things don't just happen for no reason. There's a bit of fate in everything.

So when the girl with the headphones comes into her record shop two Thursdays in a row, Chloe decides she should try and talk to her. She watches and waits for a moment when the girl might take her headphones off so Chloe can politely approach her. But she doesn't. They stay firmly pressed over her ears and the faintest strains of Counting Crows follow her around the store.

By the fourth time Headphones (as she has secretly started calling her) comes in and doesn't buy anything, Chloe thinks maybe she'll be a little less polite today. Maybe she'll march right up to her and introduce herself. Tap the girl on her bare, tattooed shoulder and smile until the girl takes her headphones off.

She's a few feet away when she sees the girl is staring at a Dr. Hook album with a strange look on her face. Brow furrowed, lips pressed tightly together, jaw working back and forth occasionally.

Chloe stops, eyes flickering between the album cover and the girl. Headphones doesn't move for a while, a few minutes, it must be. And Chloe stays still too, watching her.

The little bell over the door rings and the girl looks up at it, then down, swiping a hand under her eyes. Headphones backs away from the tray of albums and Chloe quickly sidesteps behind a shelf until the girl is gone, slipping quickly out the door.

After that, Headphones comes in every Thursday from five to six. She never buys anything. She never takes her headphones off. Chloe never talks to her. For six months or so, that's just how it is. And it's strange, because Chloe's never been the type to _not_ go for something she wants. But something about the way the girl had stared at that album—and the way Chloe had felt like an intruder on the moment, unable to leave—keeps her at bay.

And, yes, it's weird to have such a big crush on someone she's literally never spoken to, but Chloe can't help it. Something about Headphones calls to her—maybe it's the albums she chooses to stop and look at, all of which Chloe loves. Maybe it's the way she bobs her head side to side sometimes when whatever she's listening to gets too good. Maybe it's just curiosity.

Whatever it is, it flares bright and sudden in her stomach when Headphones suddenly walks into Fernwood Diner, bringing with her a flurry of snow and a young boy that looks just like her. Chloe nearly gets up right then and there to go over and introduce herself. She wonders why in the world her crush is here of all places. In Chloe's hometown, hours and hours away from where they live.

She plans to ask just that (and probably the woman's name) when she goes over, but before she can do more than push her chair back, a tall, beautiful woman follows Headphones in and casually slings an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss into her hair. Headphones' face is mostly buried in a thick scarf, but Chloe knows those dark blue eyes and she can see the top of her nose scrunch up as she shrugs off the tall woman and hunkers down further in her coat. It's really barely chilly outside this far south, but Headphones shows no signs of wanting to shed her many layers. Even when the tall woman slips a hand under the scarf and tugs it down enough to reveal Headphones' red nose and chapped lips.

Something sinks, hot and heavy, into Chloe's stomach and she scoots back up to the table, trying not to look at the three figures in the doorway anymore. It's a little hard when Ruby—Fernwood's sexiest hostess—nearly shrieks at the sight of them and rushes around the counter to pull each of them into a hug. Headphones doesn't seem to enjoy it much, but she doesn't pull away as Ruby gives her what Chloe knows from experience is a back-cracking hug. Ruby may be a slim woman, but she's impressively strong.

"The Mitchells return!" Ruby howls toward the kitchen and Granny comes bustling out as fast as her old legs can carry her.

"Well, I'll be damned." She claps the boy on the shoulder. "Jax, you got taller!"

"Don't lie to him," Headphones rasps and Chloe realizes with a jolt that she's never heard her voice before. That's a little embarrassing, considering how utterly sad she is that Headphones has a girlfriend.

What's more embarrassing is that everyone at the table has now realized what Chloe's looking at.

"Who's that?" Emily asks, craning up to look over Jessica's head. Jessica and Cynthia Rose are turned around in their seats, also staring. Aubrey puts down her fork to look as well.

Chloe flaps her hands around in the middle of the table, pulling their attention back. "Stop staring! Don't look at them!" she whispers.

"Why not?" Everyone else is looking at Chloe now, except Amy. She squints at Headphones. "Do we hate them? Should I take them out back and give them the old whack and drag?"

"I-I don't know what that means, so no. And we don't hate them." Chloe catches Aubrey's eye and takes a deep breath around the little bit of panic shivering in her chest. "It's Headphones," she whispers.

Aubrey's jaw drops. "No. Here?" She looks at Headphones with a whole different expression—eyes narrowed and lips pursed. "Hm. I guess she is pretty. A little...alternative. You weren't kidding when you said she was small." Aubrey eyes the taller woman for a moment.

"Headphones?" Cynthia Rose's eyes widen. "Wait, the girl you've been crushing on for a year?"

"It hasn't been a _year_." Half a year, maybe. Or more. Whatever. "But, yes, it's her. The one with the scarf."

Jessica hisses sympathetically as the tall woman pulls Headphones into her arms again. "And she's got a girlfriend. All the good ones are taken, huh?"

Spotting a way to get the attention off of herself and her crush, Chloe leans in on her elbows, smiling. "Speaking from experience, Jess?"

"Wha-No!" Jessica sputters indignantly, lifting her glass to hide her face.

"Are we talking about Ashley again?" Amy says.

"We are _not_ ," Jessica gives her best warning glare. It looks a bit like a kitten that's just been woken up by a loud noise.

Ruby leads Headphones' group over to a booth in the corner and Chloe catches the tall girlfriend giving Cynthia Rose a wink as they pass.

Cynthia Rose's jaw drops. Chloe's chest burns. Not only does Headphones have a girlfriend, but she has a girlfriend that _winks_ at other people!

Headphones settles into one side of the booth with who can only be her younger brother, because he has the same eyes. Tall Girlfriend leans back and Chloe watches her run a foot up Headphones' leg under the table. Headphones shakes it off but it doesn't stop Chloe's appetite from fleeing quickly.

"Hey, guys. I have some stuff to do back at the house. I'll see you later?" She pulls a few bills from her pocket and tosses them on the table, pulling on her jacket.

Emily quickly pops up. "I'll come with you!" She smiles so widely that Chloe doesn't have the heart to turn her down. So the two of them head out with a quick wave back to Ruby and Granny.

She tries not to think about Headphones and fate. She fails.

* * *

There's very little Chloe loves more than coming home for the holidays. The whole town is decorated with lights (except for old man Willie's house, but he's scary so nobody makes him). There are Christmas trees on street corners and tinsel wrapped around red lights and street signs. Sheriff Swan always tries to stop the Earp sisters from hanging mistletoe nearly everywhere in town and she loses each year, so everyone in town has to practically walk around looking up to avoid the stuff.

Chloe is pretty sure Sheriff Swan only tries to fight it because Mayor Mills insists on it. Either way, it's always entertaining to watch them battle it out. One year, Chloe caught Wynonna Earp shimmied up a telephone pole with a staple gun and a string of mistletoe while Sheriff Swan waved around a pool stick and tried to knock her down. The battle went on for two hours and half the town came out to watch. Wynonna stayed hanging up there, by what Chloe assumes to this day was just sheer willpower, until the fire department was called to retrieve her.

Everyone always comes home for Christmas. There's huge family dinners in almost every house, there's the Christmas concert in Central Square, there's huge food drives for charity. The whole town comes together and it's so beautiful. Chloe counts herself lucky to have grown up in a place as great as Fernwood.

And tourists come too, ready to make the trek up to Scarlet Peak and watch the sun rise on Christmas morning, turning the snowy hill red and gold. Her family also watches it each year, from their back porch. They always have two Christmases. The first one with just the family—just Mamma, Pop, and Chloe. And Shadow, of course. Mamma wraps them all in big blankets and Pop puts on music while they sing and open presents. Then the cousins and friends all show up for second Christmas, carrying presents and cooked hams and rice dressing. And while they do, colors dance over the peak and bleed down the river that starts way up the mountain and leads all the way down to the lake in their backyard. It's beautiful. It's tradition. It's her favorite time of year.

And it's getting _really_ cold as they approach Mamma's inn. Chloe thinks maybe Headphones had the right idea with her big coat and scarf, but she quickly shuts that thought down. She'd done very well not thinking of her the whole walk home.

The lobby is empty when they push through the door, bringing in flurries of the snow that's just beginning and a cold breeze that flutters the papers behind the desk. Mamma slaps her hand down on one stack to keep it from flying off.

"Whoa, close the door, girls!"

Emily quickly shoves it closed and Mamma relaxes, releasing the paperwork.

She sighs. "I really should be doing this up at the house." She looks so small behind the tall, oak desk, wearing a thick cardigan and her round glasses. Behind her, room keys tinkle on the hooks as the last of the breeze blows through.

"Yeah, why aren't you?" Chloe rounds the desk to help her straighten up the paperwork. "Where's Pop?"

Mamma rolls her eyes but her smile is impossible to hide. "He picked up a shift from Deputy Haught." The papers in her hands rustle as she bounces a little on her toes. "She's going ring shopping down in Springfield. Finally!"

Excitement bubbles through Chloe's veins and she squeals, Emily echoing the sound. "Does Waverly have any idea?"

"None," Mamma says, then points sternly at Emily. "So you better not tell anyone."

Emily's eyes widen. "Oh, totes! Yeah-no! Like I would-I would never! I'm so good at keeping secrets!" She huffs a laugh, eyes squinting nearly shut. "I'm like-like a vault. But one of those really good ones that you can't break into, you know? An underground one with-with lasers and stuff like—" She shoots finger guns at them, making her best laser noises and Chloe quietly presses her lips together to keep from smiling as she reaches over to grab Emily's hands, saving the girl from herself. Once Emily gets going, it's kind of like a snowball down a hill.

Mamma's eyes twinkle as she pats Emily's arm. "I know, sweetie. But, just in case, let's keep the vault under extra lock and key for now."

"Right, right, yeah. I can do that, Aunt Cory."

"Good." Mamma turns back to the papers. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to finish filing all this away since all of my employees went to lunch. And didn't bring me anything back." She looks pointedly at their empty hands and Chloe winces.

"I'm sorry, Mamma. We forgot."

"Yeah, after her crush showed up at the diner, we kinda left quick." Emily notices what she said a second too late and slaps a hand over her mouth.

Chloe throws a paperclip at her. "A vault, huh?" She's not really mad. Mamma knows anyway. But the adorably apologetic look on Emily's scrunched up face is too good to pass up.

The paperwork is once again forgotten. The look of mischief on Mamma's face is familiar and not just because they have practically the same face. "Crush? Headphones? Here in Fernwood?"

"Yes, here in Fernwood." Chloe moves to her other side and starts sorting through check-in receipts and inventories. "And you need to lock all mention of this in _your_ vault. Because I do not want to talk about it."

"Oh, you—" Mamma smacks at her hands. "You put that down. Your crush is here! Go get her, right now! What is this, what's happening here?" She catches Chloe's face in her hands and tilts her head up, looking closely at her, as if she expects to find an explanation up her nostrils or something.

Which actually works out, because it's easier to tell the ceiling, "She has a girlfriend, Mamma."

Mamma's hands soften on her cheeks and trail down to rest on her shoulders. Chloe drops her head back down. Mamma smiles like she always does when she can't give Chloe something she wants—like it physically hurts somewhere deep inside her. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

A lump that wasn't there a moment ago sticks in Chloe's throat and she swallows around it. "It's fine. Really. Quit giving me sad face. I don't even know her name."

Mamma shrugs, squeezing her shoulders once. "Well, everything happens for a reason. It will work out how it should." Her hands fly up and away from Chloe and she shoos both of them. "Now, get! I have to finish this and you are distracting me!"

Chloe drops a quick kiss on her cheek. "Okay, Mamma. You don't need help?"

"I ran this place for years before you even existed. And Amy and Jessica are due back soon. They'll help. It's what I pay them for." With one more flick of her hands, she sends Chloe following Emily out the back door.

"She's right, you know?" Emily says, the second they're alone in the backyard, heading for the house. "About things working out."

Chloe stares up at the bright pink shutters of her room, the ones she'd begged Pop to let her paint back in fifth grade and had never changed the colors of since. The whole house is really one idea or another that Chloe or Mamma had over the years and Pop made happen. She smiles up at it as she hops the porch steps. "I know. Who needs a super hot chick who loves music anyways?"

"Hm." Emily grimaces. "Well, I wouldn't say no to one."

"What about a super cute boy who loves music?" Chloe pushes the front door open and immediately puts her hands down to catch Shadow as he barrels happily into her legs, panting and shaking out his golden fur. She can feel Emily's narrowed gaze on her back and presses her smile into Shadow's fur to try and hide it. Not that she really can. Pop always says Chloe smiles with her entire body and he's rarely wrong.

"Are you talking about Benji again?" Emily's voice wanders away toward the kitchen. "First Jessica, now me. You're really getting into this matchmaker business, aren't you?"

"It's Christmas," Chloe says, as if that's answer enough. To her, it is. "It's a time for love. And that boy definitely loves you."

Pausing in the doorway of the kitchen, Emily turns on her heel. Her neck is turning red and her shoulders are slowly pulling up toward her ears. "You really think so?"

Chloe shrieks and Shadow barks. "You _do_ like him!" She whips out her phone. "I have to text Bree!"

"No! No, you do not! Chloe Beale!" Emily launches herself back across the living room, but Shadow takes the quick movement as his cue and leaps on her, sending them both sprawling onto the couch. He covers her face in kisses and Emily splutters and tries to wrestle him off. "Wha—! Shadow! No!"

"Good boy, Shadow," Chloe laughs as she quickly shoots Aubrey a text. She feels better. Family always makes her feel better. And besides. There's only a week until Christmas, her favorite time of year.


	3. Chapter 3

**Kailor: Welcome back, my loves! Thank you all so much for the reviews and love! Each and every one makes my entire day!**

There's sirens going off when they leave the diner. Beca covers her ears as a couple cop cars race by.

"Oooh, somebody got some 'splainin' to do," Stacie says once Beca drops her hands and the sirens fade off into the distance. She loops an arm through Beca's. "All right, Mitchell family. Who is ready for a week of hiking, snowboarding, and camping!"

"Just me!" Jax cheers. He'd eaten so much that he's sluggish now, sleepily patting his belly.

"You got that right," Beca grunts, sniffling.

Stacie pinches her side. "Well, it's my first time coming along, so get excited." Leaning close, she whispers, "We can only have a first time once, after all." She winks, looking far too satisfied with herself.

Beca shakes her off, growling. She suddenly misses the days when she and Stacie were mortal enemies. Back then, she was allowed to respond to Stacie's outrageous flirting with fairly vicious smacking or a targeted insult. Now they're family or whatever, so she just snaps her mouth shut and stomps off to the car. Stacie happily follows, skipping every other step.

"Are we gonna stop by the store for last minute snacks?" Jax asks as he climbs into the passenger seat.

Stacie stretches her legs into the front seat, feet crossed on the console. "God, you just ate half the diner and you want more?"

"Not for _now_ ," he whines. "For tonight when we're all piled into one tiny tent, and freezing our toes off." With a dramatic sigh and a bat of his eyelashes, he says, "Chocolate is our only hope."

"You guys can stop by the store. I'm staying in the car," Beca says. She really doesn't want to be all gross and snotty around _people_ right now. (Stacie and Jax don't count. They're not people. They're hellspawn, sent to leave their dirty socks all over the house and to call her things like "Pookie" in the grocery store line.)

"She doesn't want to be seen in public with us," Stacie stage whispers to Jax.

Beca snorts as they sit there, waiting for the heater to kick on fully. "I love you guys, but yeah, pretty much."

Jax gasps so hard she has a moment of serious concern for his vocal cords. "She said she loves us. It's a Christmas miracle!" His voice drops to a whisper. "God _is_ real."

She pegs him in the head with a tissue box.

* * *

Beca drops them off at the door and parks as close as she can, loosening her scarf. Her head is throbbing a little less than it was earlier. Granny's special honey tea always helps clear her up quick. She still remembers the very first time she'd had any.

 _Jax was five and for Christmas he wanted to go_ camping _. Beca was ten and thought it was the dumbest thing she'd ever heard. Her friends wouldn't be there. There was no TV. She couldn't bring her brand new computer with the beginner's mixing program Dad had bought. Jax was a dumb kid and he always had dumb ideas. And she was_ so _sick. By the time Dad pulled into the parking lot of Fernwood Diner, Beca was wondering if she could get away with hopping a bus back home._

 _"How you feeling, babygirl?" Mom said, turning in her seat to run her fingers through Beca's hair. Beca had never particularly liked being touched, but this was one thing she didn't mind._

 _"Throat hurts," she rasped back. "I wanna go home."_

 _"Cheer up, grasshopper," Dad said. It was a dumb nickname she would grow to love when she was older, but right then it agitated her more than anything else. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to go camping. She just wanted to sleep until her face didn't feel so stuffy. Until Spring, maybe. "I heard the hamburger steaks here are to die for."_

 _Just then, Jax decided to give his best yodel of joy as he tried to put his shoes on the wrong feet._

 _Beca winced against the sound, clenching her teeth in what could be mistaken for a smile. "What about to_ kill _for?"_

 _"Come on." Dad drummed out a quick beat on her knees. "Food will help."_

 _The old lady that led them to the booth in the corner looked like she might smack a ruler over Beca's hands if she stepped out of line. But she talked to Mom and Dad nice enough, rattling on about it being her diner and saying she had a granddaughter Beca's age. Stuff old ladies tell people for no reason._

 _"What brings you folks out here?" Granny_ — _as she insisted they call her_ — _asked._

 _"Camping!" Jax squeaked from his booster seat. Granny had asked if Beca wanted one too and she very nearly overturned the table. If it wasn't screwed into the wall, she might have._

 _Granny put a cup of milk in front of him. "Camping, huh? You picked the right place. Scarlet Peak is beautiful this time of year." She gave Mom and Dad their drinks, then put a heavy, steaming mug in front of Beca with a thud._

 _Beca sniffed it as best she could through her clogged nose. It kind of smelled good. "I wanted a coke."_

 _"But you need this. Trust me, girl." Granny tapped the mug a little closer and Beca glanced up at Mom, getting a nod and an easy smile._

 _So she'd taken a sip. And it had soothed her throat immensely, almost immediately dulling the throbbing in her head. Granny was still standing there, so Beca shrugged and put the mug back down even though she kind of wanted to drown in it. "It's all right, I guess."_

 _"Right." Granny smacked her on the shoulder with a rough hand and nearly sent her face first into the hot tea. Which would have fulfilled her wish to drown in it, she guessed. "Well, I hope you folks have a good time up there."_

 _And they did. Even Beca. So when Jax wanted to go back the next year, she didn't_ really _complain._

Beca jolts out of her reverie as a familiar figure moves in the rearview mirror. It's one of the blondes from the diner. She's pretty sure she heard one of the other girls call her Fat Amy.

She's also pretty sure Fat Amy has been following them since they left the diner. She was definitely paying them way too much attention and though she left before the Mitchells, she had been sitting outside in a dark blue truck when they exited.

And now here she is, trying to hide in the buggy stall, between rows of buggies and failing pretty miserably in her bright pink coat. Beca glances around, then drops the car into reverse and backs it slowly into the spot beside the stall. She stops when she's level with the other girl and rolls down her window. "Dude. Why are you following us?"

Fat Amy straightens up, pursing her lips as she taps an invisible drum in the air between them. Then, in a very Australian accent that Beca hadn't noticed at the diner, she says, "Why-uh-why would you think I was following you? I wasn't… To be clear."

Beca coughs into her scarf, wincing against the ache in her head. "Well, I wasn't sure. But then I saw you hiding in the buggy rack and staring at me, so." Her eyebrows hike up toward her hairline as Fat Amy nods thoughtfully, rolling a buggy back and forth a few inches. "Is this just, like, a thing you guys do in small towns?"

"Oh, yeah, it's uhhhh." Fat Amy draws the note out and tries to subtly shift out from between the two rows of buggies, but her jeans get caught and the buggies start rolling with her. "We just—" She tries desperately to stop them, but the first few break away from the row and take off toward parked cars. "I'm a, uh, part of the welcoming committee. Name's Amy, but you can call me Fat Amy."

A buggy slams into the back of a car and the alarm goes off, blaring through the parking lot and making Beca's head throb harder, but she's too busy keeping the incredulous smile off her face to notice.

Fat Amy seems to have given up on subtle and she shoves at the buggies, forcing them out of the stall so she can slip out. They take off in all different directions, setting off more alarms and sending one old guy scrambling for cover behind a Volvo. "So. Welcome. Enjoy your stay. The amenities package does not include the towels, but feel free to take the shower caps." She makes it out of the buggy stall and takes off running through the parking lot, a buggy still hooked to her jeans and rattling along beside her.

It's probably the most ridiculous thing she's ever seen and Beca thinks she should be more alarmed by this stranger following them through town, but she can't help but laugh as she watches her run away.

The passenger door opens and Jax drops into his seat, arms filled with bags of snacks. "Who was that? And why did we almost get run over by a bunch of buggies?"

"Making friends, Becs?" Stacie says, slipping in the back.

Jax snorts. "That'll be the day. Can you imagine Beca going out and being _nice_ to people?" He clutches his chest. "I think I just had a heart attack."

"You're about to have an attack," Beca growls, trying to backhand him in the stomach. He blocks, so she switches direction and smacks him in the forehead instead.

"Ow!"

"So much violence," Stacie laughs. "Anybody want a Twix?"

* * *

They're halfway up the winding mountain trail when they notice the flashing lights.

Beca slows the car as they get close and a cop starts walking toward them, hands up. She rolls down the window.

"How y'all doing?" he says, leaning down to rest his arms on the door. He's an older guy with dark red hair and a big, brilliant smile that nobody in their right mind should be wearing in weather this cold. "Afraid we can't let you pass. Road collapsed up ahead. We've had to seal off the peak to cars and hikers until we're sure it's safe."

She feels the way Jax sinks down into his seat without even turning around. She clears her throat and glances at him. Sure enough, he's staring down at the snacks in his lap, jaw working back and forth a little. She turns back to the officer. "How long until it's opened up again?"

His eyes are on Jax and she wonders if he sees the disappointment too. "We're not too sure yet. But they're already working on it. We should know more in a couple days. In the meantime, we're letting campers stay down at the Bellas Inn for free. Until we know more."

Beca nods. "Hear that, kid?" It's really not her thing, but she tries, for him, and reaches out to run her fingers through his curls. "We'll get up there."

Jax gives a half-smile that looks too much like her own and not enough like his usual one. She kind of hates it. "Okay, that's cool."

The officer grins, clapping a hand on the door once. "All right, good. If you head straight back the way you came, then take a left when you hit the main road, it will take you straight to the inn." His grin grows softer around the edges. "Ask for Cory. She'll set you guys up."

"Thank you, Officer," Stacie practically purrs from the backseat and Beca reaches back to slap her without breaking eye contact with the cop.

"Thank you. Sir. We'll be going now."

The officer backs away from the car with a wave to Jax and a chuckle. Beca quickly rolls the window up and turns around on the shoulder. "I swear to fuck, Stacie. I can't take you anywhere."

"Oh, we both know _that's_ not true."

"Gross," Beca and Jax say at the same time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Kailor: Fam. It has been...a ridiculous few months. I swear, if I told y'all half the stuff that's happened, you wouldn't believe me lol. So, let's just get to it! I love you all and thank you so much for taking this ride with me!**

It's been a few hours since Pop called about the collapse and Chloe has been swept up in preparations ever since.

The campground up on the peak sent down their sign-in lists from the last few years and Mamma has been calling regular guests to let them know. Luckily, most people that come to Scarlet Peak every year show up closer to Christmas or the end of the month for New Year's. But they've gotten a few people coming in already, taking up the offer of a free room that Mamma had sent out for those who wanted to stick around.

The thought occurs to her halfway up to the second floor with a stack of sheets in her hands and she stops cold, Aubrey running into her back and barely keeping them both from hitting the floor.

"Jesus, Chloe, are you okay?"

Chloe turns around, nearly smacking Aubrey in the face with the sheets. "What if Headphones is here for Scarlet Peak?"

Aubrey blinks at her twice before her eyes widen. "Oh. You think they'll come here?"

"I mean, they have to, right? At least for tonight." Chloe clutches the sheets closer. "It's too late to drive all the way back home. And this place is free! Who would pass up a free room for the night?" She can feel herself getting giddy. It's something she does when she's stressed or upset and her voice climbs higher with her shoulders and the corners of her lips until she just looks confusedly happy. She tries very hard not to do it, but she always fails. Just like now. "Unless they know someone in town. Do you think they know someone in town? O.M.G. What if they know someone in town?"

Aubrey balances the box of shower supplies she's carrying between her hip and the wall so she can reach out and grab Chloe's forearms. "Chloe. Listen." She squeezes until Chloe's shoulders drop back down. "It's okay. If they do come stay here and you don't want to see them, we'll just avoid the inn until they leave. Mamma will understand."

Her nose crinkles and she wonders if that soft look in Aubrey's eyes is supposed to look as pitying as it does. "This is crazy, right? I mean, I'm a grown woman, worrying about if my crush is going to be dropping by or not."

With a shrug, Aubrey grabs her box of soaps and pulls it back up into her arms. "Crazy or not, I've got your back."

Chloe kinda sorta loves Aubrey a lot.

* * *

"Chloe! We've got a car pulling in!" Jessica's voice calls up the stairs and Chloe follows it back down.

They hadn't really been expecting a _bunch_ of people. But then a group of twelve had shown up on their doorstep, needing rooms for the night. Headphones had been pushed right out of Chloe's head as she, Aubrey, and Amy ran from room to room, making sure everyone was settling in while Mamma and Jessica manned the desk.

The thought of her comes rushing right back as soon as Chloe gets to the front door, because she's right there. Bundled up and lugging a huge, straining backpack. And arguing with her girlfriend, it looks like. Chloe ducks back into the lobby. "Shit!"

"What's wrong?" Like magic, Aubrey appears at her elbow and peers over her shoulder. "Oh." She pushes Chloe behind the desk and yanks her arms down until Chloe is crouched beside Jessica's legs. Aubrey disappears and Chloe peeks around the edge of the desk after her.

Tall Girlfriend steps in, looking like a model in search of a runway, and gives Aubrey a dazzling smile. "Well, hello."

"Hello," Aubrey says back, her voice a little breathier than usual. From running back to the door, Chloe assumes. "Do you need help with your bags?"

Tall Girlfriend laughs. "I do love me some small town hospitality. And weren't you at the diner earlier?" The way she says it makes it sound like it's dripping with naughty intent. Chloe's insides burn hot. This woman already has Headphones, now she's blatantly flirting with Chloe's best friend?

And Chloe's _best friend's_ ears are turning bright red as she mouths wordlessly at Tall Girlfriend. The longer the moment stretches, the happier Tall Girlfriend seems to grow until she's taking a bold step closer, cocking her head to the side.

Chloe punches Jessica in the foot.

"Ow!"

Aubrey leaps back from Tall Girlfriend like she's been shocked, hands fluttering up and out before they come together in front of her chest. Chloe pulls her head back behind the desk before Tall Girlfriend can see her.

"Sorry," Jessica says through a clenched-teeth smile. "Hitting your toe on this desk is a _bitch_."

Chloe squeezes her leg in apology, wincing.

"Um," Aubrey sounds flustered—which is something Chloe never thought she'd hear—and clears her throat before continuing. "Does your girlfriend need help with the bags?"

"My girlfriend," Tall Girlfriend says, drawing the word out a little. Chloe sticks her head around the desk in time to see Tall Girlfriend stride to the door and yell out, "Hey, does my girlfriend need help with the bags?"

"You brought a girlfriend? Which bag did you hide her in?" Headphones' raspy voice calls back a second later and Tall Girlfriend laughs, turning back to Aubrey.

"My _friend_ is fine." Tall Not-Girlfriend shrugs and Chloe's insides light up like a Christmas tree. "She's mad at me for not buying her favorite snacks anyways." Stepping back up to Aubrey, she says, "I'm Stacie, by the way."

"Aub-Aubrey," Aubrey says, tripping over the word.

"Hi, Aubrey." Stacie moves closer, biting her lip in a way that is entirely inappropriate for being in the lobby of Chloe's mother's inn. But before she can do anything more, Headphones steps through the door and drops a suitcase between them.

"Down, Stacie," she says. Stacie pouts, but backs off, throwing Aubrey a parting wink. Headphones shoves the suitcase into her legs, making her grunt, then turns around and heads back outside.

"Stacie Conrad?" Mamma says and Stacie nods.

"Yes, ma'am. We called in about rooming a little while ago?"

"Aubrey. Darling." Mamma calls her over and drops a couple keys in her hand. "Rooms 214 and 215. You can take them up."

"What about B?"

The voice is new and young. Chloe leans out again and sees Headphones' little brother standing beside Stacie with a bunch of shopping bags from Marcel's Supermarket in his hands. Was he there the whole time?

"We'll have one of the girls show her up when she gets in." Mamma flaps her hands, ushering them along. "Why don't you go up and start settling in?"

They don't put up much fight after that. Their footsteps move away and she knows as soon as they're gone because Mamma spins on her.

"Chloe! Up, up, up!"

"I'm up! I'm up!" she squeaks, dodging Mamma's swatting hands.

She can't evade that sharp eye though. "This is your chance!"

"For what?"

"To talk to Headphones!"

The thought hits like lightning, tracking across her skin and leaving sparks everywhere it touches. It _is_ her chance. Stacie isn't her girlfriend. It's possible she doesn't have one at all. But, oh no. It's also possible she's straight. Or planning to become a nun one day. That's totes a thing people still do, right?

Mamma's hands are warm on her shoulders. "Chloe. I love you. But if you don't stop overthinking this and get out there right now, I will plaster that baby picture of you naked in the garden all over the inn." She gives her a quick pat on the cheek. "Get."

Chloe spins on her heel and hurries to the door. Mamma's not one to make idle threats.

* * *

It's cold outside, the snow slowly collecting to form a thin blanket on the town. Chloe tucks her cardigan tighter around herself, shivering.

Headphones is at the back of a white Galant, half inside the trunk. Chloe can hear her quietly cursing as she gets closer. But just before she can open her mouth to call out, there's a blur of golden fur and Shadow races past her.

And leaps on Headphones, taking her to the ground with a yelp.

Chloe surges forward, wrapping her arms tight around Shadow to pull him off. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! He won't hurt you!" She looks up, wondering where he even came from, and sees Amy doing a poorly executed moonwalk back around the corner of the inn.

"I'm fine," Headphones rasps, yanking her head back to dodge another swipe of Shadow's tongue. And she does look fine now, despite the startled yelp she'd given a second ago. For someone who's just been tackled to the ground by a strange dog that is nearly the same size as them, she looks remarkably composed. Still laying on the cold ground, but otherwise fine. And for the first time, Chloe makes direct eye contact with her and holds it.

She already knew her eyes were dark blue, but she's never seen them this close before. Never gotten to be looked at by them. And it sucks all of the air out of her chest so quickly that she has to tighten her grip on Shadow to keep the both of them upright. Because Headphones is _pretty_. Which, of course, Chloe already knew, as well. But where Headphones is pretty in the dingy lighting of the record shop, she's _really pretty_ sprawled in the snow. Her leather jacket and dark hair contrast so sharply with the snow that she almost looks unreal. The thick scarf is off, tucked into her jacket pocket, and the tip of her nose is red, her lips a little chapped, her cheeks flushed. She is gorgeous and Chloe's kind of forgotten what she was supposed to be doing.

Until one of Headphones' eyebrows goes up and the beginning hints of a smirk lift the corner of her lips. "Are you debating whether or not to unleash your guard dog on me again, dude?"

There's a playful drawl to her speech that sparks up all that lightning along Chloe's skin again. Recharges it and her until she's buzzing and grinning like an idiot. "Maybe so." She backs up a few steps with Shadow panting in her arms. "Should I?"

"Depends who you talk to about me," Headphones says, sitting up and rubbing the elbow she must have landed on.

"Hm." Chloe drops Shadow and snaps her fingers. He immediately plops to the ground, tail kicking up snow in all directions. Chloe leaves him there to reach down and offer Headphones her hands. "I prefer to make my own opinions about things."

Headphones' fingers are cold as they wrap around Chloe's. Once she's up, she quickly takes her hands back and slips them into her pockets, awkwardly shuffling her feet. Whether it's because of the cold or because she also feels that electric tingle in her palms, Chloe doesn't know. But she's full-on smirking now so Chloe hopes it's the second. "What's the verdict so far?"

Why hasn't she talked to this girl before? This is so easy. So thrilling. Chloe takes a step closer, scrunching up one eye and shrugging a little. "Well. So far, all I know is you are extremely slow at unpacking." She glances pointedly at the bags still tucked into the back of the trunk.

Headphones scoffs, skirting around her and Shadow, who stays laying down but twists his head back to watch her. "Excuse you. First, this backpack is stuck." She points to a black bag in the very back, wedged behind a neatly wrapped up, but very large tent. "And, second, I was attacked by your beast."

"Excuses, excuses," Chloe teases, moving with her and bending to get a good luck at the backpack. "Looks like it's hooked to your tent right there." She points.

Headphones bends with her, sniffling a little. "Shit. Uh. Can… Can you, uh." Her hands flit in front of her, twisting and flapping as if she can pull the words she wants from the air. All that smirking confidence has suddenly fled and is replaced by a bumbling awkwardness.

Chloe somehow likes this version just as much as the first. That smirk and soft confidence had warmed her head to toe and this does too, though it goes deeper under her skin. Deciding to spare Headphones from having to figure out how to finish her sentence, she says, "Sure. Here, lean on the tent and I'll try to get your bag unhooked."

It only takes a few seconds once Headphones has dropped her weight on the tent. She pulls the bag out and, without pausing to ask, slips it over her own shoulder and reaches back in for the last suitcase. Headphones has to pop up on her toes just a little bit to reach the trunk lid and Chloe strangles the urge to squeal at how adorable it is. Somehow, she knows Headphones wouldn't appreciate it.

Speaking of "Headphones". "I'm Chloe." She sticks out her hand again.

Headphones' hand is even colder than before, her fingers trembling a little, but her shake is strong. "Beca."

 _Beca_. It fits her. Sits on her just as well as the leather jacket and heavy, buckled boots. "Beca," Chloe repeats and finds it fits well on her lips too. "Welcome to Fernwood Inn."


	5. Chapter 5

**Kailor: Oh, snap, we back. It's PRIDE MONTH, MY BABIES and I am LIVING. LET'S GET IT! I love you all and I wish you an amazing pride month, an amazing day, an amazing life.**

There were a dozen different things that Beca had spent much of the day wishing she were doing instead of this trip. Usually when Stacie's singing reached whistle levels or when Jax got restless and started drumming on the back of her seat. She's even made a mental list of all the things that would be more fun. —

1\. Sleeping.

2\. Working.

3\. Playing in traffic.

4\. Setting herself on fire.

5\. Setting Stacie and Jax on fire.

6\. Skydiving without a parachute.

For a couple hours, she'd been very torn between number one and number five. But now, in the face of brilliant blue eyes and soft, red curls, Beca can't seem to remember any of the list.

Her elbow stings. Her entire backside is freezing. She can feel her sinuses getting even more stuffed by the second and she's pretty sure there's a little man with a hammer bashing the backs of her eyes in.

But this woman—Chloe—is beautiful. And somehow slightly familiar, though Beca doesn't get much time to dwell on that.

"Mamma's got you guys in rooms 214 and 215," Chloe says as she leads Beca inside, still carrying Beca's stuff. She'd tried to take it back, but Chloe wasn't budging. "Your friend and your...little brother?" She glances back over her shoulder, red curls swinging.

"Yeah."

"Yeah. They've already headed up. He looks just like you!"

Beca snorts, then sniffles. "Our parents were copy machines." It's an automatic response and she's just finished saying it when she realizes she used past tense. It's something she's been getting more used to, but it still gets her sometimes.

If Chloe catches it—and her quick glance back at Beca makes her think she did—she doesn't mention it. "Does that mean he's bad at unpacking too?"

"Oh my god." Beca rolls her eyes at the empty lobby. "Is this a small town thing? Being rude to visitors?"

Chloe gasps dramatically as she turns around on the stairs, walking backward with Beca's suitcase bumping lightly against her legs. "I've never been rude to anyone in my life!"

She's so bouncy and smiley that Beca kinda believes it. She would never admit that, though. "Tell that to someone you aren't currently, actively being mean to, lady."

Laughing, Chloe twists back around. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry." They make it to the top of the stairs in silence. "So. Scarlet Peak?"

"Yep," Beca says, popping the last letter. And immediately regretting it. She can be charming. She does it at work. She does it at school, whenever Jax has a thing she has to go to. Hell, she did it a few minutes ago when she'd just been knocked on her ass by a furry behemoth. But where has it gone now? Nobody knows. Awkwardly, she tacks on, "We, uh, go every year."

"Really? I've never seen you around before."

"We don't usually stay in town. We just stop at the diner."

"Oh, of course! Can't pass up Granny's cooking!" Chloe throws her a smile so bright that Beca's still blinking it from her eyes when Chloe stops outside one of the rooms.

There are a few guys gathered in the hallway a little farther down, their backwards hats and stupid, too-tight tee shirts marking them as frat bros. Beca hates frat bros. She can feel her brain cells dying just looking at their board shorts. It's snowing outside, for god's sake.

One of the bros catches sight of Chloe and bumps his friend. The friend turns to look too.

Chloe doesn't even seem to realize they're there, instead spinning around to face Beca. "So, this is you!" She slips off Beca's bag and hands it over. Beca props it on top of her suitcase. "And, um." Chloe mouths wordlessly for a second, then steps just a little closer. "Do you have a phone?"

It's a strange question, but Beca's a little distracted by the frat bros trying to shove each other in Chloe's direction, so she just answers by pulling out her phone.

"Aca-awesome!" Chloe snatches it before Beca can protest.

"Aca-what?" Beca realizes Stacie's right. She really should put a lock on her phone.

Chloe giggles. Like, legit giggles. Something Beca hasn't heard anyone over the age of six do in a long time. "Sorry, it's something my friend Aubrey started back in college and it's a hard habit to break. Here you go." She passes the phone back.

"Oh." Beca takes it and looks down at the new contact saved into her phone. _Chloe_ with a heart emoji. "Uh. Why? I—"

"Just in case you guys need anything while you're here." Chloe shrugs, tucking her hands behind her back and bouncing a little on her toes. "You can just text me."

Beca looks down at the number again. "Ah. So, uh. Do you just, like, give your number to every guest here?"

"Mm. No. Just the really pretty ones." Chloe winks.

And every comeback Beca might have had is ripped from her throat, leaving her a little breathless. But she has to say _something_ , she thinks. So she opens her mouth and sort of just exhales, "That's nice." That's _what_? What did she just say?

Chloe nods. "It is."

The door beside them swings open and Stacie peers down at them, a slow smile spreading across her face as she glances from the phone still in Beca's hand to Chloe's bright grin. Jax's head pops around her arm.

"Hello," Stacie purrs, offering Chloe a hand and a salacious wink. "I'm Stacie. Pleasure."

"Oh, hi!" Chloe happily greets, seizing her hand.

Stacie doesn't let go right away and it annoys Beca. Not everybody wants to hold hands with her all day. (Vaguely, she notes that that's probably entirely untrue. Stacie is ridiculously good-looking.) She shoves the suitcase and her bag forward, forcing Stacie to release Chloe to catch it.

"Sorry," Beca says. "Flirty is Stacie's default. You can just ignore her." She pauses. "This is Jax."

"Hi," he says, shaking her hand too.

"Hi, Jax! I'm Chloe!" All the awkward tension that's settled into Beca's bones doesn't seem to affect Chloe one bit. "I was just telling your sister that I'm the owner's daughter and if you need anything, don't hesitate!"

"Oh?" Stacie stretches one long arm up the door beside her in what should, rightfully, look stupid. But it somehow manages to be both smooth and inviting. "And how will we find you?"

"Beca has my number!"

Both Jax and Stacie's jaws drop and Beca very nearly punches both of them. How dare they look so shocked that she's got a beautiful girl's number? Instead of acting on that urge, she smirks, lifting one eyebrow and Jax's surprise morphs into something that looks a little like proud. There are even tiny sparkling tears in the corners of his eyes. She's gonna kill him.

"Well, I should get going." Chloe reaches out, gripping Beca's arm and squeezing lightly for a second. "Have a good one!"

She bounces away and Beca sees one of the frat bros slowing to a halt where he'd obviously been approaching them. He catches Beca's eye and she can feel her smirk growing wider. She ticks her phone, which she's still holding, back and forth once before slipping it in her pocket. He curls his lip at her, turning back to his friends.

It's ridiculous, but she follows Stacie and Jax into the room with a bit of an extra spring in her step.

* * *

She should have known. They were too quiet. Stacie and Jax are _never_ quiet. It's like a disease they share.

Stupidly, she believes that they're just having mercy on her for a little while so she can unpack in peace. Stacie even goes to her own room. But then she flops onto her bed and checks her phone to find Twitter notifications waiting for her.

 _jaxonmitch: My sister just got a hot chick's number. It's a Christmas miracle. God is real. My heart is warm. Is this what it's like to be a mother? Shooketh._

 _Sexy_Conrad: Beca got a # and I didnt. Christmas my ass. Gotta be April fools. Who paid the redhead?_

She latches her arms around Jax's neck and drags him to Stacie's room so she can beat them both at once.

* * *

It's been a few hours and Jax has finally stopped whining that she's "inverted his sternum" with her elbow or whatever. He's laying upside down in his bed, his legs up on the wall, and playing around on his kindle.

Stacie's draped across the head of Beca's bed, right above where Beca's sprawled out, and watching something on TV with medical equipment and hot doctors. Beca's not really paying attention. She's half drifting off when Stacie rolls forward to play with her hair.

Beca's not really much for being touched, but having her hair played with is kind of kryptonite.

"So. Did you text Chloe?"

Beca opens her eyes. "No. Why would I?"

"Uh, because she's hotter than summer?"

"Since when were you poetic?"

Before Beca can do more than flinch, Stacie reaches over her and snatches her phone.

"No! Stacie, no!" She scrambles up to her knees, grabbing Stacie's wrists.

Stacie rolls away from her, dragging her along, and stretches her long arms as far from Beca as she can. Which is pretty far. "Jax! Help!"

"What?" He looks up, blinking at them. Stacie's on her side, Beca straddling her. "Oh. What are we doing?"

"I'm gonna text Chloe for her!"

"No!" Beca redoubles her efforts to get the phone, shoving the heel of her palm into Stacie's chin and forcing her head back off the edge of the bed. "Give it! Stacie! Stop! Ow—no biting!"

Jax slams into her side, taking them both off the bed with a crash and, embarrassingly for Beca, a yelp. His curly hair presses into her face as he wraps all of his limbs tight around her and squeezes, sticking her arms to her sides. He's gotten stronger since the last time they wrestled. She growls, rolling to squish him.

"Oh, god!" he groans, trying to roll her back. "Stacie, hurry! She's crushing me!"

"I'm done, I'm done!" Stacie drops the phone and hops back off the bed, hands up in surrender. Jax releases Beca and she springs up, snatching the phone. She's breathing heavily and her knee hurts where she hit what she thinks was Stacie's hip.

She looks down at her phone.

 _Hey, it's Beca. Stacie set the room on fire._

That's it. She's going to kill her. "Stacie. What. The fuck?"

"You needed an attention getter! I was pressed for time!" Stacie slips off into the bathroom to fix her ponytail that their tussle had knocked loose.

The phone buzzes in her hand and Beca nearly drops it.

 **What? Is everyone okay? I'm on my way!**

"Shit, Stacie, you freaked her out!" Beca quickly types back. _No, no, no! That was Stacie being an idiot. No fire, dude._ She sends that, then adds, _Might be a dead body soon though._

Chloe's response is immediate and calms the anxiety bubbling in Beca's chest. **Oh. Well that's fine! As long as the property isn't damaged. ;)**

Beca snorts, dropping to sit back on her bed. _Wow, your customer service just gets better and better._

Again, the reply is immediate. **I wouldn't turn you in 2 the cops? How's that?**

 _Mm. Not a 5 star breakfast in bed, but it'll do._

 **You only get those after 2 murders, sorry xxx**

 _Lucky me. I brought two people along._

"Oh my god. She's gone."

Beca looks up at Jax's voice and finds him bent down in front of her, waving a hand in her face. She smacks it away.

"Ow, okay, she's back." He pouts, rubbing his hand, and moves back over to his own bed.

Stacie plops down beside her. "Beca Mitchell, the girl who had to ask me how to find her emojis, texting up a storm." She sighs deeply. "You already love this girl more than me."

"You say that like it's a surprise." Beca jerks as Stacie's sharp nails dig into her hip. "Stop it! Go to your own room!"

"But who will I cuddle?"

"Go cuddle a cactus."

Stacie shoves her over. "You're such a bitch. It's Christmas, Beca. We're supposed to cuddle and sip hot chocolate! That's why I came!"

Jax, upside down and buried in his kindle again, says, "Christmas is a week away. She'll get nice a few days before it and then, boom!" His kindle slaps down onto his chest as he pretends to drop a bomb and lets it blow his arms up above his head. "Midnight of Christmas day, Bitch Beca will be back." He picks up his kindle. "Happens every year."

She glares at him. Mostly because he's correct. She usually gets a little infected by the Christmas spirit and the happy camper vibe that seems to emanate from Scarlet Peak. Just a little. Until Christmas music gets involved, which is often. Then she's out. And once Christmas is over, she's done. Pulling her legs back up on the bed and flopping them over Stacie's stomach, she looks at her phone.

 **Lol okay well just let me know when you want that breakfast ;)**

She runs her thumbnail along the edge of her screen protector, chewing on her lip. She's not dumb. She knows Chloe's flirting with her. She doesn't get why though. Stacie had been right there and Stacie's always who people go for. There are frat bros aplenty just down the hall. Why, of all people, would someone who smiled as brightly as Chloe does want to flirt with _her_?

Maybe she's like Stacie. Just naturally flirty. Maybe it doesn't mean anything. It's just playful. Beca can do that. Sometimes.

After a few minutes of mulling it over, she decides not to worry about it tonight. She quickly sends, _You'll be the first to know._ Plugging her phone in, she flips it facedown on the nightstand and lays back, listening to the stupid show Stacie's watching and Jax's quiet, occasional humming.


	6. Chapter 6

**Kailor: Hello, babes! As always, all my love to each one of you and thank you so much for all the reviews! Welcome back!**

Mamma likes to say that Chloe has been early to everything since literally before birth. When they had planned to wait a few years before having a baby, Chloe was conceived. Then she was born a week early, she learned to walk early, and she was singing along to the radio way before she should have been.

Chloe waking up with the sun has been a thing since she started school. Unfortunately for her, nobody else ever seems to wake up that early. So she's gotten used to having to entertain herself in the mornings. Whenever she's back home, she likes to go for a walk by the lake behind the inn. It's a beautiful, crystal clear lake that she spent a lot of her childhood playing in the shallows of.

She's just stepping off the porch of Mamma and Pop's house when she spots someone down by the lake already. The sun is barely up, but Jax is fully dressed and skipping rocks. As she gets closer, she can hear music coming from his phone, which is laying in the grass behind him. It's a mashup of Kevin Lyttle's "Turn Me On" and J. Cole's "Power Trip". She never would have thought to put those two songs together, but it's incredibly mixed. She bobs her head along to it as she approaches.

Jax spots her and lowers the rock he'd been about to throw. "Oh. Hey. Chloe, right?"

"Yes! Good morning."

"Morning," he says, grinning. He really does look a _lot_ like his sister. "You're up early."

Chloe shrugs, pulling her cardigan a little tighter around her. It's not really that cold out, but there's always a breeze coming off the lake. "So are you."

He holds out a rock and she takes it. "I usually wake up a little early. Not _this_ early, but." He shrugs and chucks another rock, giving it a good couple of skips.

Chloe hefts the rock in her hand a couple times, turning it, then launches it across the lake. Four perfect skips.

"Oh, I didn't realize I was playing with a professional!" Jax tosses her another rock.

"I've been doing this since I was old enough to know what a rock was." She waits for him to take a turn. "Bend your knees a little more."

Jax gives her a quick eye roll, but she can tell it's playful. He bends his knees dramatically, practically squatting.

"Okay, smartass." She chuckles, prodding him in the back. "Now, step into it when you throw."

He does and the rock skips four times before disappearing beneath the surface. "Oh, shit!" He bounces in place, arms over his head, before remembering she's there. "I mean, uh. Woo!"

She laughs. "If your sister lets you curse, it's fine." Lowering her voice, like she's telling him a big secret, she says, "'Shit' happens to be one of my favorite curse words."

Jax's face turns a little red, but he shrugs it off, laughing too. "She doesn't let me so much as she can't really fuss me for it when she's worse than me."

Chloe bends to scoop up a couple more rocks. "A whole family of potty mouths, huh?"

His expression doesn't change, but his voice drops a little. "Yeah. Whole family." He kicks a rock into the shallows, then suddenly laughs. "Stacie's worse though. Not in the cursing, but like. She says weird stuff all the time. Beca can barely stand her sometimes. It's hilarious."

"Sometimes we need friends that push our buttons." Memories of all the times she'd had to wrangle Amy or Lilly down from something crazy they were doing come to mind.

Jax nods, lifting a finger to trace the small crescent scar under his right eye. "Yeah. They used to actually, legitimately hate each other. Seriously." He widens his eyes. "Like, one time, we were all in the backyard and they started fighting. I was like, four, so they were nine or so. And Stacie hit Beca and took off running." Picking up his phone, he turns the volume down a little on the mashup still playing. "Now, Beca may be small, but she is _fast_. So she tackled Stacie right into the gravel on the side of the house."

She gasps, happily getting just as into the story as he is.

He lights up, grinning. "Yeah. And Beca was on Stacie's back and she, like." He starts twisting his hands in the air. "She wrapped Stacie's hair around her hands and just started rubbing Stacie's face in the gravel."

She gasps again, hand slapping over her mouth, this time actually a little startled.

Jax just laughs though. "She was fine. Beca was fast, but weak. Barely did any damage. But Stacie got a little scraped up. And I went running around the house screaming, 'Beca's killing Stacie! Beca's killing Stacie!'" He shakes his head, eyes rolling. "Our parents pulled them apart and punished them both. And sometimes when they get into arguments, I'll just start yelling 'Beca's killing Stacie' to get them to stop."

"God." Chloe shakes her head. "You know, she joked about killing you guys last night. But now I'm a little worried…"

Jax snorts. "Ah, don't be. I skinned my knee last year and Beca nearly passed out when she saw all the blood."

She laughs, soothed. "Where is your sister? And Stacie?" she adds.

"Beca is definitely still asleep. She probably won't be up until lunch. Stacie went for a run." He bobs his head a little to the mashup playing from his pocket now. It's a little quiet, but she's pretty sure it's Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "Just Dance" by BTS. She purses her lips, nodding along too. He smiles. "Like this? Beca made it."

"Made it?"

"Yeah, it's one of her mixes. She's really good, dude." He pulls out his phone again, turning it back up. "She's a producer, but she makes me mixes when she has time."

Oh, God, she works with _music_. Of course she does. That little thought of fate that had stumbled over Stacie's presence is running hard now, making her heart race. And she needs to hang out with Beca. Like, now, if possible. She has to strangle the urge to march upstairs and push her way into Beca's room, insisting they be friends. (Or, like, get married, whatever. Totes negotiable.) Her luck, Beca would probably be in the shower or something. So, instead, she steers Jax back toward the inn. "Well, I would love to hear more some time." She glances at her watch. "But complimentary breakfast at the Bellas Inn begins very soon and early risers get the best pick of the waffles."

"Oh, shit, I love waffles!" He hops a few steps away, then spins around with a grin. "Thanks! See you later!"

* * *

It turns out that, besides being adorable and funny, Jax is a pretty good brother. He seems to know his sister pretty well, because it's not until about ten minutes before noon that Chloe hears from her.

She's outside Annalise Keating's Law Offices, perched on the trunk of Aubrey's car and waiting for her to go on break so they can run to Granny's. She had almost decided to just...nonchalantly hang around the inn all day (or until she runs into Beca, at least), but Mamma had run her off. It's chilly, but the snow from yesterday has already melted, leaving the roads a little damp.

Across the street, Nicole and Sheriff Swan are leaning against the hood of a cruiser, sharing a bear claw. Chloe smiles as Nicole notices her and waves. Her phone buzzes in her jacket and she pulls it out.

It's just a text, but it kind of makes her want to dance the second she sees it, because _Beca_ texted _her_ first. Which, technically, she hadn't done the night before, because that had been Stacie. And Chloe had spent all morning trying to think of an excuse to text her. Something about breakfast or about her brother or about the weather. But she had talked herself out of it each time. She knows she can come on strongly and she really doesn't want to do that here. Not after waiting so long just to learn this girl's name.

But Beca's texted _her_.

 _Pls tell me you guys have a secret Starbucks somewhere around here._

Okay, so it's not a declaration of love or an invite to a wonderful, Christmas cheer-filled date, but it's something. Chloe quickly texts back. **Under the staircase, there's a door. Knock three times.**

Beca's response comes just as the front door of the office opens and Aubrey slips out. _Dude, seriously?_

Chloe laughs, propping her elbows on her knees to text back. **You're so easy. I feel a little bad now lol.**

"God, I need a heavy, definitely not diet-approved meal right now." Aubrey stops beside her, tucking a stray folder into her bag. "Carl down at the mechanic shop is trying to bring the Earp sisters up on charges. Again."

"Oh, no." Chloe hops off the trunk. "What did they do this time?"

Aubrey sighs deeply. "Allegedly, they trashed his man cave." She pauses, hands up. "No, I'm sorry. His 'seclusion barn'." She gags.

Chloe wrinkles her nose, laughing. "They probably did. And he would deserve it. After all those times he tried to grab their asses down at Shorty's."

Always the more mature one, Aubrey doesn't agree verbally, but Chloe can see it in the way her lips tighten as she rounds the car to get in. Chloe moves to the passenger side, looking down at her phone.

 _Listen. I just woke up and this you being mean to me thing doesn't make you cute, dude._

 **"Make" me cute? I AM cute, excuse you.** She tacks on a few winking emojis.

Climbing into the car, she tucks her phone between her knees while she buckles up. Aubrey launches into a rant about all the charges the Earp sisters have racked up and Chloe nods along as she quietly checks her phone.

 _Sure, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Is that a "no" on the Starbucks?_

 **LOL yeah, sorry! Xx But Granny's has some pretty good coffee.** She taps her thumbnails against the sides of her screen a few times, chewing on her lip. **I'm actually headed there now, if you wanna meet up?**

"Are you listening?" Aubrey slows at a redlight.

Chloe looks up in time to see her friend, Clarke, crossing the street. She spots them and waves, half-smiling. It's kind of the only way Clarke Griffin smiles. Unless her girlfriend is around. Chloe waves back, beaming. "Yes, sorry. I'm listening. Wynonna bit somebody again?"

Aubrey huffs. "You sound surprised. I believe this makes the fifth time in the last three months. She should probably be muzzled."

Humming, Chloe casually presses her home button and sees no messages waiting. "If Wynonna were here she'd probably say something along the lines of 'Oooh, how'd you know my kink?'" She giggles at Aubrey's wrinkled nose. "Wynonna's a good person. Just...eccentric."

"Well, I'm pretty sure she stabbed someone in the hand once. But okay."

Chloe's phone buzzes.

 _You sure? I'll have to bring Stacie and Jax. Otherwise, they'll just track me down and be weird...er than normal._

She laughs, texting back. **Of course! I have a friend with me too so we can all hang out :)**

 _Oh, gross, a group hang. We'll be there in ten, I guess._

There's no emojis, but Chloe can practically feel the dry sarcasm rolling through the text. She smiles and puts her phone away.

"So," Aubrey says as she pulls into Granny's parking lot. "Headphones."

"Beca," Chloe says, thrilled to finally be able to use it.

" _Beca_." Aubrey nods. "Her friend seems...nice."

Chloe doesn't bother responding until they're just about to slip in the door of Granny's. "She's very pretty too."

Spinning on her, Aubrey nearly smacks an old man carrying a construction helmet in the face with her hair. "Oh! I'm so sorry, sir!"

The old man laughs, his round belly shaking. "Don't worry about it, girlie. Just have yourself a good Christmas, will ya?" He smiles, white beard twitching up, and then he's past them and heading off across the parking lot.

She waits until he's out of earshot before whispering, "Do you know him?" She knows pretty much everyone in Fernwood. Growing up in a small town is just like that. But she doesn't recognize the old man at all. Maybe Mayor Mills called in extra construction guys from down in Holburke to help fix the road up on Scarlet Peak.

Aubrey ignores her question, instead jumping back to what Chloe had said before. "I know that tone, Chloe Beale. And you will _not_ be setting me up with anyone. Especially not _your_ crush's not-girlfriend."

"Yeah, totes! I won't!" She tucks her hands together in front of her, the picture of innocence. "So… Like. Would it be, like, an aca-tastrophe if I maybe sorta invited Beca and her brother and her not-girlfriend to come eat with us right now?"

"Chloe!"

"Merry Christmas?"


End file.
